Thursday, December 10, 2009

The New Year is upon us...what is your spiritual goal for 2010?

Each year I choose a piece of scripture to carry me through. It will hold a theme of an area I am trying to improve on or in. Last year, I wanted to build on my prayer life and it has been a beautiful journey and by no means is complete.

God has laid on my heart my need for two things to work on in 2010, two things that go together like chocolate and peanut butter or like a man and a women.....faithfulness (trust) and praise (thankfulness).

This will no doubt be a challenging year ahead of me. To be faithful enough to trust God in all circumstances is a life-long commitment but I recognize my need to focus on it. And God has been so good to me over the years and has brought me out of so much. He should have walked away, even ended my life due to my rebellion yet He CHOSE me and has continually loved me through the years. He is even using me in His ministry to others-totally Him, not me.

His patience, tolerance, forgiveness, mercy, and grace are more than I can comprehend. It is amazing. It is humbling. Yet, if I am honest, I have not acknowledged Him enough nor truly given Him the praises He deserved.

He is showing Himself to me so clearly these days. I am honored as I am not worthy. Faithfully seeking Him, a stronger prayer life, scripture memorization, and continual Bible studies have grown a deeper hunger in my soul to know Him and love Him more...

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.2 I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.~Ps 84 (NLT)

So this morning He took me to Psalm 85 and revealed to me my goal for 2010. The whole chapter is my life and the testament of how He took me out of the pit of despair I had fallen into and redeemed my life. His redemptive grace has yielded a peace that has allowed me to walk differently and to live differently. But one verse in this chapter was a sweet aroma of His love....verse 10 (NLT):

"Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!"

His unfailing love and the truth of who I am in Him have indeed met. His righteousness and the peace I now live in is indeed a heavenly kiss! The following verses depict how this comes about....

11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.

When we live and walk by His truth, based on His righteousness, we are promised to experience His goodness in all situations....

12 Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.

His glory will shine upon us, His plans in our life will come forth, His mission will yield fruit in the ministries He has called us to....

13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him,

preparing the way for his steps.

He is the model of right living. He has paved the road before us, written down the instructions, created life maps for us to follow. The fuel we need is faith, trust, and praise. The more we trust Him, the more we will see Him. The more we praise Him, the more He will show Himself to us.These past 6 years have been spiritually transforming and yet it continues. I see a new transformation of my heart beginning in 2010. Daily I will seek Him, daily I will strive to trust Him like never before, and daily I will praise Him...even when it is difficult and satan is marring my vision. A trusting life, fueled by faith and nourished with praises of God in our everyday will remodel any heart.

I am up to this spiritual challenge.

Heavenly kisses....that is what I am seeking in 2010...what are you seeking?

6 comments:

Hi Pamela....our visits have been few and far between. This is a wonderful post. I have always been such a "live for the moment" child. Something about this has been stirring in me since I first saw the title of your post. Will put it before Him and seek what He may speak. He certainly knows me better than I know myself...what I need, what I'm struggling with, what I'm hungry for that can't always be put into words....He knows...I shall set my gaze towards Him and wait. Blessings of all His best!!!!!

I'm so glad you posted this challenge again. As last year, I will be paying attention to what God is saying to me over the next couple of weeks. I already know the area of challenge for me; just need a verse to perfectly fit it all together.

I've sorta been pondering what my desire for next year would be. Each year at the end of the year I take my journal and review the things God has done and said to me. I then ask Him for the desire on my heart for the upcoming year. I haven't discerned yet what that desire is... but I know it's coming.

This year has been a year of stepping more fully into the finished work of Christ in me. I've never found anything like it... and I've known of God my whole life, walked with Him for 29 years now... This unending love takes my breath away.

Hi there! I'm not exactly doing an anchor verse, but rather an anchor prayer for the year. I can't wait to see what God puts on my heart for this!

I'm starting it late because I didn't know about a new year's prayer until after 2010 began. I had given up new year's resolutions long ago--so glad to know that I can petition God with a prayer based on scripture for 2010 and all the years to come!

Philippians 3:10-11, Amplified

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body.

My Better Half....

He still takes my breath away!

My Spiritual Goal's thoughout the years...

2015 I am unsettled. I want God more...Revive deep spirituality in my heart; let me live near to the Great Shepherd, hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls. "Lord, I cry out to you. I say, “You are my protection. You are all I want in this life.” ~ Ps. 142: 52014 Enough & Anchored: God is enough (focus) & I will be anchored in Him (action)."Lord," said Phillip, "Show us the Father, and that's ENOUGH for us." ~John 14:8 (HCSB). "[God's] hope is real & true, an ANCHOR to steady our restless souls, a hope that leads us back...to where God is..." ~ Heb 16:9 (The Voice)

2013: Diakono's Living-Loving Out Loud (LOL): having the heart to do something radical for God.Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. ~ Hebrews 13:16 (HCSB)2012: Living Out Loud (LOL): Losing control for what God wants me to do!! ~ Isaiah 58: 10-12 (Message)

2011 Goal: A Godly Woman's Journey: having a fuller understanding and expression of the love of God. ~ 2 Thes 3:5

2010 Goal: To grow my trust (faithfulness) in Him and to Praise (thankfulness) Him more!~Ps 63:1-8

2009 Goal: increase my prayer life ~ Col 4:2-6

2008 Goal: heart, mind, & action of a servant~ Isa 61:1-3

2007 Goal: Freedom from my past ~Ps 40:1-3

Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2011

In 2009 I started memorizing scripture with Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team. It started a journey in my life that I now cherish. I didn't think my "older" brain could memorize scripture but it has and it has literally been my "life-line" in some of the most troubling times over these past few years. I encourage you to join us in this new year. Here are my chosen scripture throughout the years:

2015 Memory Verses: Ps 142: 5 (NCV);

Verse for the year 2014: “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” ~ John 14:8 (HCSB)

One of my favorites...

To get your copy, click on the book and PLEASE remember to pray for Elaine as she journeys with breast cancer.

I am not a writer...I am a women of grace, who through life circumstances has learn what it means to live in and through Christ. I wouldn't change a thing in my life because of where it has brought me spiritually with my Lord (Psalms 40:1-3). I have a godly husband and a blended family with six girls!! I am blessed!! I am also nurse, an educator, and have served in youth and women's ministry. I started this blog years ago when I was active in women's ministry but life got difficult, and the pain and losses pulled me out of ministry. Though my heart longs to be back there, I have recently changed my focus here to be more of a legacy for our girls. As I grow more in love with Jesus every day, I pray and hope that I pass that on to them. If you have stumbled onto this blog, I pray that in my being open and transparent, you too see Christ in my living and are encouraged. As I study His word deeper, I strive to become more like Jesus. Therefore, my prayer for this blog comes from Isaiah 50:4 "Sovereign Lord, give me your words of wisdom, so that I will know how to comfort the weary and those who need to know Your grace. Morning by morning awaken me and open my understanding to Your will. Guide me to share it here".